As far as Landys go, Richard is partially correct, but that is the reason that our "Land Rover" Club is now accepting "other makes".

Cross country motorsport still has future but, IMO, we need to get back to grassroots. It is the people who have over modified and thrown the bank at their off-roaders who have take some of the blame for the decline in event entries.

Just for information, the MSA Cross Committee are currently working on a new to cross country event that can be entered using standard 4X4's, including modern "shineys", and is aimed at the grassroots.__________________________________Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - yes that's right, I have a Zook!

I'm on my phone so this just a short one until I get back to the computer.

When I look at any biggish off road competition in the UK I see an overwhelming majority of notionally green oval vehicles or specially built trucks. Most are running gear that cost £000s before you talk about the modifications to the car itself. The Scotia had 33 entrants only 1 of which was Jap.

There are lots of local competitions where you don't need the big guns but you don't need much discussion of them either!

There is a lull in the UK, that is what I was saying.

Play and play sites are increasingly subject to tighter planning restrictions, environmental and noise restrictions so the one already in use are being hammered and new ones are not opening. Drumclog is just a mucky mess these days.__________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

When I look at any biggish off road competition in the UK I see an overwhelming majority of notionally green oval vehicles or specially built trucks. Most are running gear that cost £000s before you talk about the modifications to the car itself. The Scotia had 33 entrants only 1 of which was Jap.
.

like i just said.....money.

RichardD wrote:

There are lots of local competitions where you don't need the big guns but you don't need much discussion of them either!
.

why dont you need much discussion? because it doesnt interest you? because the kit is not worth thousands? because some of them aint lawnmowers? or because its a small competition?

being honest, difflock as a forum is in no place to ignore these competitions and competitors. i mean, its not like the forum is too busy to chat with its next generation of users, is it?

why dont you need much discussion? because it doesnt interest you? because the kit is not worth thousands? because some of them aint lawnmowers? or because its a small competition?...

And where did I suggest any of that?

Basically little discussion on a general technical forum is required for events that are for standard or near standard vehicles. An RTV can be completed in a showroom standard 4x4 - seldom does it lead to much debate on a Forum. Once they get the bug, however ......

HIM wrote:

...

being honest, difflock as a forum is in no place to ignore these competitions and competitors. i mean, its not like the forum is too busy to chat with its next generation of users, is it?

may just breathe a bit of life into the forum.

because i think you`ll agree.

it needs it.

Who's ignoring them? Not Difflock that is for sure. You seem to be laying the blame firmly and squarely on the shoulders of the Mods which makes no sense.__________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

As far as Landys go, Richard is partially correct, but that is the reason that our "Land Rover" Club is now accepting "other makes".

Cross country motorsport still has future but, IMO, we need to get back to grassroots. It is the people who have over modified and thrown the bank at their off-roaders who have take some of the blame for the decline in event entries.

Just for information, the MSA Cross Committee are currently working on a new to cross country event that can be entered using standard 4X4's, including modern "shineys", and is aimed at the grassroots.

That sounds good.

The Scotia remains aimed at as wide a range of competitors as possible with several each year driving their 4x4s to the event, competing for 2 days then driving home again (one from over 500 miles away!). Sure it's not for unmodified cars but I still reckon that 2 Zooks with decent winches and a full length skid plate could romp away with it. The whole car could be set up for less than the cost of some car's winches!

Why my focus on The Scotia? I've helped run it for 12 years (but just stood down to allow some new blood to take it further, better and bigger) and competed in it twice. Its the sum total of my experience on the subject.__________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

When I look at any biggish off road competition in the UK I see an overwhelming majority of notionally green oval vehicles or specially built trucks. Most are running gear that cost £000s before you talk about the modifications to the car itself. The Scotia had 33 entrants only 1 of which was Jap.

As I said in an earlier post, a competitor's truck might have a green oval - even a defender body and chassis but since when did Landrover have Toyota or Nissan axles as standard or Cummins engines or - need I go on?

When I look at any biggish off road competition in the UK I see an overwhelming majority of notionally green oval vehicles or specially built trucks. Most are running gear that cost £000s before you talk about the modifications to the car itself. The Scotia had 33 entrants only 1 of which was Jap.

As I said in an earlier post, a competitor's truck might have a green oval - even a defender body and chassis but since when did Landrover have Toyota or Nissan axles as standard or Cummins engines or - need I go on?

Indeed, yet another reason why I like them - there is no such thing as standard. Mine only stayed that way for 3 hours after collecting from the Stealer __________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

why dont you need much discussion? because it doesnt interest you? because the kit is not worth thousands? because some of them aint lawnmowers? or because its a small competition?...

And where did I suggest any of that?

you didnt

you actually didnt give any reason.

hence i asked the questions.

thats the bits with the question marks on the end...

RichardD wrote:

Basically little discussion on a general technical forum is required for events that are for standard or near standard vehicles. An RTV can be completed in a showroom standard 4x4 - seldom does it lead to much debate on a Forum. Once they get the bug, however ......

as i have pointed out before, difflock isnt (or more to the point wasnt) just a technical forum. it was also a social meeting place for enthusiasts from all over. hence the lounge and soap box areas. the danger with a technical forum is that it becomes a repository for method and practises and nothing else. a soulless, lifeless place with facts in...

oh....

RichardD wrote:

HIM wrote:

...

being honest, difflock as a forum is in no place to ignore these competitions and competitors. i mean, its not like the forum is too busy to chat with its next generation of users, is it?

may just breathe a bit of life into the forum.

because i think you`ll agree.

it needs it.

Who's ignoring them? Not Difflock that is for sure. You seem to be laying the blame firmly and squarely on the shoulders of the Mods which makes no sense.

no, again thats your knee jerk reaction. show me where i blamed the mods. (such as you have left and are active). yer gonna struggle with that one.

i just pointed out a fact.

and i understand that that fact may be uncomfortable, but the very presence of this and a few other threads of the same ilk would suggest that there is a little bit of a problem and that people aint happy.

never blamed the mods one bit.

Last edited by ** GED ** on Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

When I look at any biggish off road competition in the UK I see an overwhelming majority of notionally green oval vehicles or specially built trucks. Most are running gear that cost £000s before you talk about the modifications to the car itself. The Scotia had 33 entrants only 1 of which was Jap.

As I said in an earlier post, a competitor's truck might have a green oval - even a defender body and chassis but since when did Landrover have Toyota or Nissan axles as standard or Cummins engines or - need I go on?

Indeed, yet another reason why I like them - there is no such thing as standard. Mine only stayed that way for 3 hours after collecting from the Stealer

Ha.... but....

(Many) Land Rover owners spend a lot of time on forums running down "japcrap" but what's the first thing they mod for serious competition work? Toyota or Nissan axles because they're cheaper than Danas and maybe stronger as well.

This is one of the things that gets me about Land Rover - they had a decent truck and screwed it up by putting on cheap inferior parts, and why are the parts cheap? because they break so often there is a high demand for them making them cheap - on the other hand Jap stuff is a damn sight tougher doesn't break so often, if at all - which makes the parts very expensive (but cheaper than Land Rover parts in the long run).

Ged, Sorry but this is like old times, barbed pointed questions followed by "but I wiz just askin' Guv"

So, keeping to the topic and not reverting to the old "where Landrover has gone wrong" debate, let's hear some ideas, perhaps, of what can be done to encourage people to participate?__________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

If this is the type of social banter that people think is missing from Difflock I'm glad it's missing.__________________________________Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - yes that's right, I have a Zook!

"they had a decent truck and screwed it up by putting on cheap inferior parts"
That's not true. It was always under budget from absolutely day one, and will keep it up until its demise.

Suzuki jeeps and Daihatsu have been good offroad, but we've run out of them. Still haven't run out of disco's though.
If it were Oz it would yota's. Landy is king in the UK, and always will be, because there are so many bits in farm yards. By the time this changes there will only be organised 'events' for road cars or buggies.

Ged, Sorry but this is like old times, barbed pointed questions followed by "but I wiz just askin' Guv"

So, keeping to the topic and not reverting to the old "where Landrover has gone wrong" debate, let's hear some ideas, perhaps, of what can be done to encourage people to participate?

Yep we've moved the topic but the "old where Landrover has gone wrong debate" is not old, it's current - it's the reason why many off-roaders choose Jap over British Please don't fob it off with "it's old stuff now" Nothing is old in Off-roading much is still being used.

Oh and Richard stop knocking the posters at best they go off and sulk at worst they leave. you may not like Ged - or me or any other poster for that matter but we do make up the population here with out posters there is no Difflock and me personally I'd prefer Difflock to survive...

Ged
I don't waste much time talking about it, I just get on with starting threads and answering (or trying to) others'.

I don't have much going on these days but an example is refurbiishing my sankey trailer. I tried to find the information I needed elsewhere and couldn't so I got on with the job and started to document it on here. The result is that Difflock now has information that will not be available anywhere else, there is something for us to chat about and everyone will be able to take the P out of my poor painting. Ideas, options, parts sources, 'how to' posts and similar can be posted by all and sundry.

That, my trolling friend, is how Difflock became the best 4x4 forum.__________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

i could post the screenshots of where you were proven to have lied about your attitude and ownership, but you know what, i wont bother.

people remember anyway..

difflock may have been the best forum in the world.

but not now.

i monitored the members online for most of the night.

3

that was the sum total at once.

3

to put this in perspective richard, there were more posts made on the vegetable oil diesel forum in one thread about wooden decking last night than was made on the whole of difflock all night.

so is it feasible that a load of old blokes into veg oil are also by some coincidence into decking as well, or will you now admit there is a problem.

threads like this do and will keep appearing until you address the problem.

you banned me, citing my bad influence, but like i said, i havent been here, so whats your excuse now?

the economic downturn?

now i will respectfully request that you treat me as i have treated you. please do not resort to name calling and if you do can you qualify if it is in a personal capacity or as a representative of this forum.

i did not register to be abused by the forum staff. all i have done is answer and asked questions.

the fact that you do not like these answers or questions does not condone or justify your behaviour towards me.

treat others as they treat you.

Now, would you like to get back to this discussion, or would you just like to ban me like you normally do?

I think it may have been me who suggested to bring 'Him' back. If there are only 2 or 3 people on the forum, how on earth did You get here so quickly?

Lurking in the background? Just asking out of curiosity, because if there are more people using the forum anonymously, i'e not responding to threads but simply reading or moitoring them, then maybe if these people were to contribute, Difflock could rise out of the ashes?

*looks around the corner of the difflock wall for other people*__________________________________Disco 'DD' Don
90 v8 for fun
110 XS CSW daily drive
'I came, I saw, I locked the diff'

i actually popped on to see if colin had posted an update on the team chaos weekend at landy live.

just wanted to know how much we had raised.

then i opened a few cupboards and poked in the drawers, looked under the carpets for any sign of life and found this.

or is it like in the candyman film, say the name three times......

but being honest normally someone would send me a link.

just coincidence that you posted and i appeared this time...

and lets be honest, had i been lurking it would have been the most boring lurk ever. not much happening, is there?

and yes, you are right. i still talk to a lot of the old guard, by other means or phone and Yes, they are looking without logging on. you would have to ask them why. i know a few didnt like the way i was banned, a few drifted away from 4x4`s and a few just cant be *****.

dunno how you are going to get them back though, the attitude has changed on here. and seemingly, not for the better, otherwise there would be a cue to sign up.

You know what Ged, I can't be bothered with your nonsense and I'm not prepared to read your double standards and rake over stuff from years ago.

Ged, in the same way you say stuff with a wry smile, so do I.

I do not feel I have to justify myself to anyone. This kind of 'discussion' is what puts people off forums and this reminds me of how little I like it.__________________________________Poking the Grim Reaper with a stick then running away. The devil made me do it but God said it was okay with him.

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